Like Toy Soldiers
by E.B. Keane-Farrell
Summary: My first songfic! About Link's feelings in TWW after he kills Ganondorf, to "Like Toy Soldiers" by Eninem.


Several years after Link has killed Ganondorf during his search for the Triforce of Courage and becoming the Hero of Winds, he lies down in bed, thinking of all of the enemies he has slain.

_Step by step, heart to heart, left right left _

_We all fall down like toy soldiers _

_Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win _

_But the battle wages on for toy soldiers_

He sits up in his bed, his eyes looking hollow, remembering his friends who had died and the foes who had killed them. Tears well up in his eyes and Link covers his face with his eyes. He is about to let himself give into weeping, but he remembers he must be brave for Aryll and Grandma.

_I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure_

_Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders_

_I am never supposed to show it, my crew ain't supposed to know it_

_Even if it means goin' toe to toe with a Benzino it don't matter_

_I'd never drag them in battles that I can handle unless I absolutely have to_

_I'm supposed to set an example_

_I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em_

Link shakes his head and dashes the unshed tears from his eyes. He slowly begins to walk out of the house and wandering around the island, trying to remember what life was like before he became…well, a _murderer_, as he thought of it. Yes, Ganondorf was evil. Yes, he would have destroyed the world. But was it really Link's destiny to kill him?

Even though everything is fine, Link doesn't feel like it is. He doesn't feel okay at all. He feels terrible at being the murderer.

_And even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it _

_I spent too much energy on it, honestly I'm exhausted _

_And I'm so caught in it I almost feel I'm the one who caused it _

_This ain't what I'm in hip-hop for, it's not why I got in it _

_That was never my object for someone to get killed _

_Why would I wanna destroy something I help build _

_It wasn't my intentions, my intentions was good _

_I went through my whole career without ever mentionin' ..._

_Now it's just out of respect for not runnin' my mouth _

_And talkin' about something that I knew nothing about _

Link had been a happy child. He had loved life on Outset Island, playing with Aryll and the two young boys. But now that he was a labeled human, he was different. There is no way he can go back to being who he was before his adventure. There is no way.

_Step by step, heart to heart, left right left_

_We all fall down like toy soldiers_

_Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win_

_But the battle wages on for toy soldiers_

Link gazes up at Faerie Forest, remembering how he had battled several foes to save Tetra. They had lain where they had fallen, not rising back up.

_There used to be a time when you could just say a rhyme _

_And wouldn't have to worry about one of your people dyin' _

_But now it's elevated cuz once you put someone's kids in it _

_The stuff gets escalated, it ain't just words no more is it? _

Link rubs at his eyes, which were unexpectedly blurring. Remembering the past battles, his allies and his adversaries, the places he had visited, the villagers he had helped…it was overwhelming. Link used to love having Grandma tell stories about great battles and the heroes slaying evil men and women. But now that _he _was the hero slaying someone else…was he going to be turned into a legend? Were children going to listen to his story and want to be just like him?

_We still have soldiers that's on the front line _

_That's willing to die for us as soon as we give the orders _

_Never to extort us, strictly to show they support us _

_We'll maybe shout 'em out in a rap or up in a chorus _

_To show them we love 'em back and let 'em know how important it is _

_To have Runion Avenue Soldiers up in our corners_

_Their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is _

_But I ain't trying to have none of my people hurt and murdered _

_It ain't worth it I can't think of a perfecter way to word it_

_Then to just say that I love ya'll too much to see the verdict _

_I'll walk away from it all before I let it go any further _

_But don't get it twisted, it's not a plea that I'm coppin' _

_I'm just willin' to be the bigger man _

_If ya'll can quit poppin' off at your jaws well then I can, _

_Cuz frankly I'm sick of talkin' _

_I'm not gonna let someone else's coffin rest on my conscience cuz _

'They shouldn't want to be like me,' thinks Link, still gazing at the peaks of trees in the Faerie Forest. 'They shouldn't want to feel the way I feel. I feel so guilty. I feel terrible. I caused several deaths. At the time I didn't think about it, but now…now I am truly sorry for slaying those creatures. I wish I could go back…' Link gazes at his hands and lets a few tears fall down onto them. He remembered what it was like after his first real battle, with his hands stained with the blood of his foe…

_Step by step, heart to heart, left right left_

_We all fall down like toy soldiers_

_Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win_

_But the battle wages on for toy soldiers_

"_No_!" cries Link, racing towards the dock. It's as though he is trying to outrun the image of his hands—the hands of Link of Outset Island—covered in rich, brick-colored liquid that happened to be blood he had caused to shed…

Link looks around at Outset Islands, tears streaming down his tanned face. With a jagged rock, he carves into the dock, _Grandma, Aryll – I love you forever. You must never forget that. I love you both._

Link dives into the water and begins to swim away from the Island. Being terrible at swimming, he begins to choke in the water. Link turns to look back at Outset Island, but it is too far away. Slowly, Link gives in to the water that is pulling him under.

Slowly, Link lets himself pass away, into the aquatic depths of the unknown.

_Step by step, heart to heart, left right left_

_We all fall down like toy soldiers_

_Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win_

_But the battle wages on for toy soldiers_


End file.
